Word's come down from the top: The Bay Area isn't building enough. The president can't actually order us to up density, of course, but development boosters sure could do worse by way of a big advocate in their corner.

New Alternatives's insight:

"The Obama administration just released its "Housing Development Toolkit," taking some cities to task for stifling new housing construction and tossing some suggested fixes our way."

The vision of the Fair Housing Act has not been fully realized, as stated in this article. And better enforcement of rules is not creating new rules but instead is calling us to task to do a better job for all citizens. And this article looks at the importance of allowing vacant spaces to be made available to CDCs and non-profits in mind, ones that have the interest of creating accessible, quality, affordable housing for all but especially lower-income residents.

Gavin Barwell pledges government will ‘maximise number of affordable homes’, but concerns and divisions remain within social housing sector

New Alternatives's insight:

Across the country communities are struggling to keep housing affordable for existing and future residents. Atlanta, in recent years, is not different. Perhaps the attitude of community leadership, that folks really need to be able to remain in place, will make the difference and will truly create an environment of affordable housing and accessibility.

In an era of urbanization, Singapore, Houston and Medellín, Colombia, are among those redefining what cities can be.

New Alternatives's insight:

Cities are growing; people are moving into cities more and more and this trend is not likely to change anytime soon. Urban planners haven't always done a great job of keeping housing affordable for new residents in the urban areas. This article highlights several cities that are working to accommodate their residents. Houston in particular is doing a good job of addressing the needs of its residents for affordable housing. Read on to learn what it is doing and what other cities are doing to meet the needs of their resident.

While home price growth eased to a slower pace last month, at the national level, housing affordability is down from a year ago as rates are modestly higher and price growth continues to outstrip household income growth.

New Alternatives's insight:

Housing affordability is down from a year ago! The difficulties we face to create more affordable housing appears to not be going anywhere any time soon.

Were you thinking I was describing life in the tenements of the early 20th century. No, I am describing real life issues facing African-Americans and Hispanics, today, in all of our cities.

'One factor in the current gap was the Great Recession, in which African-Americans and Hispanics, having been disproportionately targeted for subprime loans by mortgage brokers, lost billions in wealth through home foreclosures. Another factor Wilson cited was the “growing deterioration of the conditions of poor blacks” and their isolation in impoverished neighborhoods.'

The affordable housing market has dried up in major cities across the country.

New Alternatives's insight:

The #housingcrisis is real and in many major cities is a catastrophe. Average people are being priced out of their communities. New programs to get people back in to affordable housing and helping them remain in the community of their choice is critical.

New ideas and city initiatives are trying to solve a crisis that threatens the stores and shops that make our cities unique

New Alternatives's insight:

Unaffordable housing = unaffordable rent of small businesses too. People move to diverse and interesting neighborhoods for the uniqueness of its shops, restaurants etc. but then what happens when housing costs go up and commercial rent goes up? Unique, charming little local businesses may not be able to make it work.

There's a physical cost to rising rents, and Oakland residents are paying the price.

New Alternatives's insight:

Housing insecurity is really in many places in the United States. In Oakland, it is an acute problem, which is leading to other physical and behavioral health issues. Have we let our community members down?

Construction industry news, trends and jobs for building professionals who want mobile-friendly content.

New Alternatives's insight:

This is the ultimate in the double-edged sword. Cities across the United States needs way more affordable housing desperately. But those that work on building these units deserve a wage that would allow them to live in the communities in which they work. We do not want to stop the movement towards more affordable housing but we do not want to deny livable wages for workers either. It is a conundrum, indeed.

The charity paid millions in federal stimulus funds to developers shortly after longtime tenants were pushed out. “We are spending federal money to throw low-income New Yorkers out of buildings,” wrote a Habitat whistleblower.

New Alternatives's insight:

An example of when well intended plans have unintended and tragic consequences.

In some parts of the country, adults with the lowest incomes die on average as young as people in much poorer nations like Rwanda, and their life spans are getting shorter.

New Alternatives's insight:

If you have money that chances that you live longer increases, but if you are poor and live in certain parts of the country you could have the life expectancy of your counterpart in Rwanda. Let that sink in.

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